Shang Yechu slipped on her slippers and moved to the vending machine in the lobby.
Just as she was about to get a bottle of ice water, Shang Yechu suddenly noticed that there was a person standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the lobby.
The gentle moonlight shone on the person, casting a long shadow on the spotless floor.
Shang Yechu rubbed her eyes: "Teacher Qi Ming?"
Qi Ming turned around, his face showing surprise: "Xiao Ye?"
Shang Yechu took out some ice water and walked to Qi Ming's side: "I'm thirsty, so I came out to buy a bottle of water. Teacher Qi, what are you doing here?"
Qi Ming chuckled and said, "I'm getting old, and I'm a light sleeper. I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."
Qi Ming often said he was getting old. Shang Yechu had never paid much attention to it before. However, perhaps it was because she was feeling sentimental late at night, but as soon as Qi Ming finished speaking, Shang Yechu suddenly noticed that Qi Ming's makeup was still on. The faded makeup and aged face blended together, creating an indescribable sense of desolation.
Shang Yechu felt a dull ache in her heart, as if she had been punched.
"But you, even though you're young and energetic, you shouldn't drink ice water in the middle of the night." Qi Ming looked at the frosty, misty water bottle in Shang Yechu's hand. "Be careful of a stomachache."
Shang Yechu stammered, "I—I'm a little annoyed."
"Oh." Qi Ming chuckled. "What's bothering you? You think the newcomer award is too small? You have to take things one step at a time."
"No," Shang Yechu quickly explained, "It's 'Half of Heaven'..."
Zuo Youqi was also about to join the cast to play her mother, so there was no point in hiding it. Shang Yechu then told him in detail about the scene that she had been stuck on.
"To be honest, teacher, I just dreamt that this scene was cut 35 times, which infuriated Director Xu." Shang Yechu laughed lightly, her tone nonchalant.
Qi Ming slowly frowned, a thoughtful expression on his face: "Now that you mention it, this scene is indeed not easy. Could you explain the background and consequences in more detail?"
Qi Ming was a supporting character, and his script wasn't as complete as Shang Yechu's. Shang Yechu then explained the background: "Lu Huaizhang suspected that Li Yiming's arrival was too coincidental. Just then, the Ninth Bureau captured two underground party members, who sacrificed themselves to avoid exposing the organization. Lu Huaizhang deliberately told Li Yiming about this, hoping to find clues from her expression."
Shang Yechu thought for a moment and then added, "Diting can judge a person's true emotions from their breathing and heartbeat. He is here too."
Was this test deliberately designed, or a coincidence?
“It’s a coincidence,” Shang Yechu said. “The underground party members sacrificed themselves too quickly; Lu Huaizhang didn’t have time to react. This test was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
Qi Ming then asked, "What is the setting for this scene?"
Shang Yechu honestly replied, "It was at a theater. Lu Huaizhang's wife is an old-fashioned person who likes to listen to operas. Li Yiming recognized her as his godmother and was listening to an opera with her at the time."
"The theater is so noisy, yet you can still hear breathing with your hearing aids..." Qi Ming chuckled, "Is this someone with superpowers?"
Shang Yechu nodded: "Diting can even tell which telegraph operator is sending a message from the hand gestures of the telegraph operators. This kind of thing is nothing to him."
Otherwise, how could he be Li Yiming's most formidable enemy?
Qi Ming thought for a while, then suddenly asked, "In this scene, what play is being performed on the stage?"
Shang Yechu was taken aback. Qi Ming truly lived up to his reputation as an experienced actor; he had even thought of this!
In this play, the opera performance on stage is indeed very important, complementing the interaction between the performers and the audience, creating a truly stunning effect.
Shang Yechu announced the title of the play.
"..." Qi Ming was surprised to learn that he could sing this opera, and immediately hummed a couple of lines.
"This place is really well designed," Qi Ming exclaimed. "Who's performing?"
Shang Yechu paused for a moment, then shook her head: "This is just what's written in the script. When we actually filmed this scene, it was just me, Teacher Xue, and Di Ting talking. There was no one singing on stage. Director Xu said it would be dubbed later."
Qi Ming asked in surprise, "Voice acting?"
"Yes."
Qi Ming's brows slowly furrowed.
"Is the director Xu Hanwen?"
Shang Yechu was a little puzzled as to why Qi Ming asked such a question: "Yes. What's wrong?"
"Even if no one is performing, surely someone can recite the lyrics?"
"No, not really." Shang Yechu took a sip of ice water and casually placed the water bottle on the raised platform on the floor of the hall.
"Keeping the beat?"
Shang Yechu shook her head again.
Qi Ming's expression grew increasingly incredulous: "Xu Hanwen? That shouldn't be the case. He's quite experienced..."
Even the slow-witted Shang Yechu realized something was wrong: "What's wrong, Teacher Qi?"
Qi Ming seemed a little tired, and sat down on the stage with a shaky gait: "How did you perform? Let me see."
"Here?" Shang Yechu hesitated. The hotel was well-soundproofed, so there was no need to worry about disturbing other guests. But to start acting here... was that a bit too much?
Qi Ming urged, "Just show me the main performance methods you've used. No need to prepare your emotions, just show me the movements."
Shang Yechu realized that Qi Ming might want to guide her, so she quickly overcame her psychological barrier and nodded: "Okay."
Shang Yechu performed all the rejected acting methods, sweating profusely. Because he wasn't fully immersed in the role, his emotions were weak, making him look quite comical.
Qi Ming watched Shang Yechu's actions intently, his expression solemn, without any hint of mockery.
After the performance, Shang Yechu looked at Qi Ming expectantly: "Teacher Qi, what did you think?"
Qi Ming narrowed his eyes and patted the seat next to him: "Xiao Ye, sit down."
Shang Yechu sat down next to Qi Ming, not even bothering to drink water, her eyes fixed on Qi Ming.
Qi Ming rubbed Shang Yechu's thigh and asked thoughtfully, "Little Ye, are you familiar with Strickland's 'prescribed situation' theory?"
Shang Yechu was certainly aware that *An Actor Prepares* was essential reading for actors. The prescribed scenarios, the creative elements defined by the script, have a significant impact on character development; they can even be considered the basis for the character's actions.
“I know, Teacher Qi.”
"What is the prescribed context for your scene?" Qi Ming guided patiently. "Tell me about both the internal and external aspects."
Internal context refers to the character's psychological state and emotions, while external context refers to elements such as time and place.
“Uh,” Shang Yechu gestured, “the internal situation is Li Yiming’s pain at losing his comrade and his determination never to expose it. The external situation is Lu Huaizhang and Diting’s probing, and, and, the crowded and noisy environment of the theater.”
These things were all very simple; Shang Yechu had taken countless notes on them. To be honest, she didn't quite understand why Qi Ming was bringing them up.
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